(11 October 2010 – Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan)
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South Korea&aposs Sun-Ju Ahn continued her amazing rookie season on the Japanese Tour, notching her third victory and extending her lead in the Money List to an almost unassailable ¥40,493,056. It took a playoff for the 23-year old to complete her latest victory over ‘perennial bridesmaid’ Inbee Park, the sixth time in 10 starts this season that Park has finished as the runner-up on the LPGA of Japan. Yukari Baba again finished third, the fourth time she has done so in her last 9 starts.
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rnRolex World No.18 Mi-Jeong Jeon began the final day with a commanding four shot lead at 9-under par and it appeared she would be tough to chase down. However, she got off to a poor start with a bogey at the first, while Ahn made a birdie at the same hole to immediately close the gap to three shots. By the time the players had made the turn, Ahn had not only caught Jeon but passed her after an outward nine of 5-under par 31. Jeon made two birdies and two bogeys to remain at 9-under while Park had picked up just one shot to move to 6-under, still 4 shots behind, but the leader had changed.
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rnUnfortunately for Jeon, a string of three bogeys to start the back nine put paid to her title aspirations and it was left to her fellow Koreans to battle it out down the stretch. The birdies had dried up for Ahn on the back nine, which allowed Park to narrow the gap steadily. After a birdie by Park on the 14th, the lead was just two, but it stretched to three after Ahn made her sixth birdie of the day at the 15th hole and, at that point, it looked like she would comfortably take victory.
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rnPark wasn’t finished yet and made another birdie at the 16th and when Ahn made a bogey at the 17th, the lead was just one shot with one hole to play. Park, looking for her second win of the year hadn’t given up hope of at least forcing a playoff. The momentum was all going her way and she managed a birdie at the last to Ahn’s par and suddenly they were all tied up, and a playoff was required.
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rnThe playoff only lasted one hole after adrenaline saw Park hit her third shot too far and into the pond at the back of the 18th green. Ahn calmly two-putted for the victory and the ¥19,800,000 winner’s cheque. Afterwards she said, “I just tried to play my game and that led to a good result.” She has now broken through the ¥100million for the season and commented, “I have to admit that I think about the money title, but I’ll try to keep my focus on playing well in the coming events.”
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rnUnfortunately, Tamie Durdin and Susie Mathews missed the cut, while Nikki Campbell chose to miss this event.
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